EeWrite E-Pad E-Ink Tablet Review
The EeWrite E-Pad is an ambitious tablet that dares to merge E-Ink technology with what is otherwise a standard 4G-enabled Android tablet. Swap out the IPS panel on a modern Android tablet for a high resolution E-Ink panel and you'll have a good idea on what the E-Pad is all about.
As of this writing, the E-Pad is in its Kickstarter phase which has already surpassed its initial crowdfunding goal. The pre-production unit we have here may not be an exact representation of the final model, but it's a close approximation nonetheless. The $400 to $500 E-Pad competes with other E-Ink-based Android devices including the Onyx Boox, Boyue Lifebook Mars, and the Barnes and Noble Nook.
Case
Connectivity
Communication
Display
Performance
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
| EeWrite E-Pad 32 GB eMMC Flash | Chuwi Hi9 Plus 64 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 SM-T590N 32 GB eMMC Flash | Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 32 GB eMMC Flash | Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 64 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -7% | 36% | 108% | 3% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 68.7 | 20.44 -70% | 60.4 -12% | 73.8 7% | 30.14 -56% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 66.6 | 21.16 -68% | 80.6 21% | 85.1 28% | 55.5 -17% |
| Random Write 4KB | 10.73 | 13.01 21% | 13.39 25% | 60.8 467% | 9.37 -13% |
| Random Read 4KB | 33.86 | 42.2 25% | 71.1 110% | 54.7 62% | 27.72 -18% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 72.1 | 132.5 84% | 103.3 43% | 126.8 76% | 147.7 105% |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 224.9 | 145 -36% | 285.6 27% | 247.8 10% | 262.2 17% |
Emissions
Temperature
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.8 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 20.6 °C / 69 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
EeWrite E-Pad audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 76% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management
Power Consumption
| Off / Standby |   0.35 / 2.1 Watt |
| Idle |  3 / 3.5 / 3.5 Watt |
| Load |
6.6 / 11.6 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| EeWrite E-Pad Helio X20 MT6797, , 32 GB eMMC Flash, E-Ink, 1872x1404, 10.3" | Chuwi Hi9 Plus MT6797X, Mali-T880 MP4, 64 GB eMMC Flash, IPS, 2560x1600, 10.8" | Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 SM-T590N SD 450, Adreno 506, 32 GB eMMC Flash, IPS, 1920x1200, 10.5" | Apple iPad Pro 10.5 2017 A10X Fusion, A10X Fusion GPU, Toshiba THGBX669D4LLDXG 64 GB NAND , IPS, 2224x1668, 10.5" | Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Kirin 960s, Mali-G71 MP8, 32 GB eMMC Flash, IPS, 2560x1600, 10.8" | Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 MT8173, PowerVR GX6250, 64 GB eMMC Flash, IPS, 1920x1200, 10.1" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -24% | 15% | -24% | -21% | 3% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3 | 2.18 27% | 1.26 58% | 1.44 52% | 2.01 33% | 1.55 48% |
| Idle Average * | 3.5 | 5.29 -51% | 4.22 -21% | 6.12 -75% | 5.4 -54% | 4.17 -19% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3.5 | 5.37 -53% | 4.29 -23% | 6.14 -75% | 5.44 -55% | 4.25 -21% |
| Load Average * | 6.6 | 8.56 -30% | 5.48 17% | 8.55 -30% | 8.55 -30% | 7.13 -8% |
| Load Maximum * | 11.6 | 12.86 -11% | 6.57 43% | 10.62 8% | 11.53 1% | 9.63 17% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
| EeWrite E-Pad Helio X20 MT6797, , Wh | Chuwi Hi9 Plus MT6797X, Mali-T880 MP4, Wh | Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 SM-T590N SD 450, Adreno 506, Wh | Apple iPad Pro 10.5 2017 A10X Fusion, A10X Fusion GPU, 30.8 Wh | Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Kirin 960s, Mali-G71 MP8, 28.5 Wh | Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 MT8173, PowerVR GX6250, 24.82 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 0% | 48% | 9% | 2% | -14% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 633 | 634 0% | 938 48% | 693 9% | 648 2% | 542 -14% |
| Reader / Idle | 1241 | 1960 | 2036 | 1344 | 960 | |
| Load | 93 | 385 | 199 | 196 | 274 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The EeWrite tablet is surprisingly light and easy to hold for long periods. It's over 100 g lighter than the iPad Pro 10.5 and it's thinner than most tablets at just 6.8 mm. Combine this with an attractive design and you have an E-Ink tablet that's well-suited for travel.
Unfortunately, that's where the major advantages of the EeWrite E-Pad end. Common Android features like 4G LTE, MicroSD reader, integrated speakers, Play Store access, Bluetooth, pen support, and WLAN are indubitably useful to have on an e-reader, but the E-Ink screen is abysmally slow to the point of frustration. While decent enough for reading e-books or manga, its response times are so poor that basic functions like navigation, touch-typing or writing, browsing, or scrolling all move unreliably and at a snail's pace. Video playback is impractical and the lack of a 3.5 mm audio jack means you'll need to rely on Bluetooth headphones for personal music playback. Perhaps an instant Search function would have made the experience a little faster.
The E-Pad is first and foremost an e-reader with secondary Android features. When those Android features are painfully slow and unresponsive, however, it's hard for us to recommend paying the high $400+ USD price premium. The E-Ink display just can't keep up with a modern Android OS and the mid-range MediaTek Helio X20 SoC is powerless to help it. But for e-books, comics, and music, the slow screen becomes more tolerable.
Price comparison
